POWERnews

A group that represents utility companies worldwide said its members want to nearly triple their renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. The Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (UNEZA), which was formed at last year’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the group collectively wants to increase its green energy […]

A $12.5 million project to establish the first U.S. regional cybersecurity research and operations center focused on grid protection has garnered a $10 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant.    Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security is partnering with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create the Southeast Region Cybersecurity Collaboration […]

An energy storage division of a global solar power provider announced it has signed a letter of intent to supply equipment for several energy parks being developed by a UK-based renewable energy company. Trina Storage, part of China-headquartered Trina Solar, on April 19 said it would partner with London-based Pacific Green on several projects, and […]

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in its March 2024 open meeting made clear that successful energy transition requires immediate action. With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as a benchmark, the U.S. will need to expand its electrical transmission capacity at an annual rate double that seen between 1978 and 2020, as reported by the […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied an industry petition seeking to delist stationary combustion turbines from the agency’s list of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) major source categories regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The agency’s final action on April 11 responds to an August 2019 petition filed by several […]

Framatome and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to demonstrate the feasibility of producing non-carrier added lutetium-177, a medical isotope used for a variety of lifesaving cancer treatments, at the Wolsong nuclear power plant in South Korea. Under this MoU, Framatome and KHNP will jointly perform a technical […]

Arevon Energy, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, announced it has signed a long-term tolling agreement with electricity provider MCE for 188 MW of the Cormorant Energy Storage Project in Daly City, California. Cormorant Energy Storage is a 250-MW/1,000-MWh standalone battery energy storage system that will be built in two phases. The […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will partner with GE Vernova to complete a 15-year project to refurbish the iconic 1.7-GW Sir Adam Beck I and II hydroelectric complex near Niagara Falls. The C$1 billion ($724 million) project unveiled on April 16 will comprise the first phase of OPG’s larger plans to overhaul all five of its […]

BGEN, one of the UK’s largest engineering firms, has been awarded an £84 million project by GE Steam Power Systems to provide electrical and instrumentation solutions to Hinkley Point C (HPC), which is a two-unit EPR nuclear power station under construction in Somerset, England. When complete, Hinkley Point C is expected to deliver 7% of […]

In a time where capacity revenues are pricing lower and many generation owners find that their facilities are not being dispatched for energy on a consistent basis, reliable revenue streams are increasingly important. In addition to selling energy and capacity, many generation facilities collect fixed, monthly payments for the provision of “reactive power,” which are […]

Nearly 200 solar and storage companies sent a letter to congressional leaders on April 17 calling for legislation to improve permitting, project siting, transmission, and public lands access for solar and solar plus storage projects. Market forecasts show that a range of policy and economic outcomes will determine the volume of solar deployment over the […]

A report from a leading wind power trade association said a record 117 GW of new wind energy generation capacity was installed worldwide last year, a 50% increase from the prior year. The “Global Wind Report 2024,” published April 16 by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), said “the world is moving in the right […]

The “hypercomplex” risk environment in which the North American power sector operates is underscoring the urgency for strategic initiatives to enhance grid reliability and security across North America, the head of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) told reporters on April 4. NERC CEO Jim Robb, in a briefing, said the hypercomplex risk environment […]

The largest electric power company in Japan announced the spinoff of a new global renewable energy business, and said the venture would be headquartered in London in the UK. JERA, founded in 2015 as a 50-50 joint venture between TEPCO Fuel & Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Co., and Chubu Electric […]

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) final energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers appear to strike a compromise with industry, softening the agency’s stance on steel requirements for essential transformer components and extending compliance deadlines to five years. The DOE’s final standards issued on April 4 seek to reduce losses in three types of distribution […]

The California Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, which began being implemented on Jan. 1, 2024, is designed to complement the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule, which mandates a significant increase in the number of medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on California roads. There’s much to understand about the regulation and how it will impact […]

Mitsubishi Power, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), announced the company has received an order for gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation system equipment for Lamma Power Station’s Unit 13. The unit will be built in Hong Kong by The Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd., known as HK Electric. The new turbine has an […]

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) represent a fascinating intersection of nuclear history and modern innovation. The concept of using molten salts as both a coolant and fuel carrier dates back to the 1950s, with the pioneering work of Alvin Weinberg and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In 1965, ORNL successfully operated the Molten […]

A coal-fired power plant in South Korea will use equipment from GE Vernova’s Gas Power business as the facility switches to burn natural gas as soon as 2027. GE Vernova on April 8 said it would supply a 7HA.02 gas turbine and a H65 generator for Korea Western Power Co.’s (KOWEPO’s) power station in Gongju-si, […]

Grid operators across the U.S. report they are largely prepared for the total solar eclipse that will pass over a large swath of North America on April 8, though they remain vigilant, monitoring for any unexpected shifts in power generation or demand that could test the power system’s resilience. The much-anticipated solar eclipse will begin […]

Owners and operators of thermal and renewable energy infrastructure are navigating new and emerging risks due to digitization of the grid, an uncertain regulatory landscape, and changing environmental and weather patterns. These factors and others are forcing risk management stakeholders to increase preparation and resilience of their organizations. As digital transformation accelerates in the power […]

Tantalus Systems, a grid modernization technology company focused on helping utilities harness the power of data, said Bolivar Energy Authority (BEA) selected its Grid Modernization Platform (TGMP) to modernize the utility’s distribution grid. BEA serves Hardeman County and parts of Fayette, Chester, and Madison counties in Tennessee and part of Benton County in Mississippi. TGMP […]

Support for battery energy storage, and manufacturing of equipment for the electrification of transportation, is spurring construction of battery factories across the U.S. American Battery Factory, a leader in development of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells, recently announced a partnership with Lead Intelligent Equipment (LEAD) to secure custom automation equipment and machinery that will […]

Nuclear energy is surging back in a big way. Case in point: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s comments last week on plans to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. To bolster the effort, she announced a $1.5 billion conditional loan guarantee to cover work required to restart the plant after a two-year shutdown. And […]

In 2002, the government of Saudi Arabia moved to step up the private sector’s role in the kingdom’s economy by opening the production of power and desalinated water. Saudi firms Abunayyan Trading Co., Abdulkadir Al Muhaidib & Sons Co., and MADA Group for Industrial and Commercial Development sensed a tremendous opportunity, forming ACWA Power Projects […]

In recent years, concerns about the lengthy interconnection queue have dominated headlines. This queue has emerged as a major obstacle to adding new generating facilities to the U.S. power grid. It is primarily caused by grid congestion, permitting issues, extensive infrastructure project delays, and the traditional interconnection study approaches used in many states. To address […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex featuring a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, aero-derivative turbines, 100 MW of battery storage, and up to 4 MW of solar generation. The nation’s largest public […]

A Sweden-based renewable energy developer, in partnership with the investment arm of Ingka Group–the biggest IKEA retailer–has been issued a permit for construction of a 5.5-GW offshore wind project that would be built in the Baltic Sea. OX2 AB and Ingka Investments on April 3 said officials in Gotland, Sweden, gave the companies a Natura […]

Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ameren Corp., has been selected by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional transmission operator for large parts of the central U.S., to develop a $273 million transmission project across northern Missouri. “We are proud to have won this vital project that will […]

Sunnova Energy International Inc., an adaptive energy services company, announced continued investments and expansion to its virtual power plant (VPP) network, providing increased reliability, reduced emissions, and lower costs. With its VPP investments, Sunnova is boosting accessibility in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Texas to enable customers to rapidly access […]